Obtaining an ICC certificate. Do I need it?

Most importantly, European charter companies are increasingly demanding the ICC certificate.

Without it, in 2019 skippers with IYT and RYA certificates in Greece, Spain and France were refused to charter a paid yacht. Below, APCharter has worked out why you need an ICC, how to get one, how much it costs and whether you need one with your particular licence.

What is and why do you need an ICC certificate

The International Certificate of Competence (ICC) is a document that certifies that its holder has the minimum knowledge to safely operate a vessel in European coastal and inland waters. Managed byUnited Nations Economic Commission for Europe Inland Water Committee (UNECE IWC) Resolution 40.

The ICC is issued for a period of 5 years. It is important to realise that this is not a course or a separate training system. It is a document that sort of confirms your existing licence, national or international (RYA, IYT).

Why it appeared: in the 1970s, navigation on the major European rivers Rhine and Danube intensified. A large number of foreign ships began to sail across Europe, their captains holding licences from many different countries. European countries often did not accept each other's licences and, for example, in order to pass through seven countries one had to obtain the licences of all seven countries. This hampered the development of water tourism.

In order to reduce bureaucracy and at the same time guarantee safety on the water, a single European certificate recognised by all countries - ICC - was invented. Now, when travelling abroad, the captain had to show his country's crust and with it the ICC, which guaranteed that his crust was real and that the training courses he had taken met the minimum European requirements.

Why it is needed now: in the early 2000s, with the spread of the RYA and IYT licences, the problem with a large number of different certificates from different countries disappeared.

But two others have emerged.

Firstly, some students do not undergo training and buy crusts. It turns out that they have a certificate, which is not registered by the school, because in fact the student has not been trained. The certificate is fake.

Secondly, the new IYT Bareboat Skipper and IYT Flotilla Skipper certificates have new restrictions on the time of sailing: ‘daylight hours’.

According to Resolution 40, a master with this restriction does not have the minimum knowledge to safely operate a vessel in European coastal and inland waters. Therefore, many charter companies are starting to require both a national or international licence and an ICC.

Which countries require an ICC

Theoretically, countries that have adopted Resolution 40 or its predecessor Resolution 14 should require an ICC and those that have not should not (Wikipedia listings).

In practice, this is not the case. The Netherlands has adopted Resolution 40 but does not require a skipper's licence or ICC - a description of skills and demonstration of experience is sufficient. Greece has not adopted any of the resolutions, but requires ICC the strictest.

Do I personally need an ICC?

By the letter of the law, everyone who charters yachts in European coastal or inland waters needs an ICC. In practice, this is far from the case, so be sure and check with your charter company in advance to see if your crust is suitable for them!

In 2019, the strictest ICC requirements were Greece, Spain, France.

Please note: if your IYT certificate has the phrase ‘daylight hours’ on the front or back of it, then 90% of the time you will have to get an ICC for chartering in Europe.

It is also less commonly requested for skippers with an RYA Day Skipper certificate

How do I get an ICC if I have an RYA licence?

Here are the detailed instructions from the RYA.

Check if your country of residence is part of the convention Resolution 40

There are no examinations. RYA licence holders will be issued an ICC licence without further examinations - on the basis of a written application.

How much it costs: approximately £45.

Turnaround time: the standard turnaround time is a couple of weeks.

This does NOT include the time it takes to get your documents to the RYA and the certificate to you!

Total time: allow a month and a half to two months for the whole epic.

Documents:

• — fill in the application form
• — attach a passport photo, signed on the back of your passport
• — enclose copies of your current licences - enclose copies of one or more documents showing your name, address, nationality and photo
• — pay for the certificate
• — send the application pack to the RYA by courier or post

How do I get an ICC if I have an IYT licence?

Here are the detailed instructions from IYT.

There may not be an exam. If you received your IYT certificate from a school that is certified to issue ICCs, you do not need to take the exam. If not, you may have to take the test.

How much it costs: $78.

Turnaround time: the standard turnaround time is unknown.

This does NOT include the time for the certificate to be delivered to you!

Total time: allow a month and a half to two months for the whole epic.

Documents: if you are an EU citizen and have an IYT Bareboat Skipper Sail and IYT VHF licence, you can obtain an ICC directly from IYT by sending to support@iytworld.com following documents:

• — a copy of a current IYT skipper's licence
• — a copy of your current IYT radio licence
• — your IYT Student IYT Profile Number
• — passport copy
• — passport photo
• — delivery address
• — delivery method (courier or airmail - read the red below!)

After sending all information to the email, the captain will receive an invoice for payment. The certificate will be produced only after the payment is received.

How do I get an ICC if I have a CSDD licence?

The Latvian Ministry of Transport issues only a national licence. To get an ICC certificate - students from Latvia will have to study at an international school IYT or RYA. The IYT school, for example, offers the theoretical part online, and then students will have to visit the school to complete the course in practice and take the exam.

IYT offers the theoretical part of the ICC online, so you can complete it in advance, buy the online exam and after successful completion take the practical course at the partner school with a copy of the course certificate.

The initial download of the e-learning is free and you can complete all modules for free. However, you will need to pay to take the final exam. I would recommend finding a partner school that has places available first before buying the final exam.

ICC e-courses cover the theory for all of the following disciplines in one online course:

International Crew

International Bareboat Skipper

VHF Marine Communications (SRC)

*If you already have a VHF-SRC licence issued by another organisation, I would recommend downloading only the International Flotilla-Bareboat Skipper e-learning as this will still entitle you to take the ICC but will not include the VHF training (and save you money).

From February 2020, the IYT requires students to complete the International Bareboat Skipper course in order to obtain a 24m ICC (as many charter and insurance companies require both licences before allowing you to charter). Therefore, upon completion of the Bareboat Skipper course you will have two licences - International Bareboat Skipper and ICC.